Malfoys Did Not Cry
by whirlwinds of watercolours
Summary: The Malfoy family was renowned for a number of things. One of the reasons was that mask of impassivity - they never cried.


**Summary: The Malfoy family was renowned for a number of things. One of the reasons was that mask of impassivity - they never cried.**

**Rating: T for angst.**

**Word Count: 790**

**Written for: the Ultimate Death Eater Contest, Round 1.**

**A/N: Thanks to my wonderful beta, _Emma Quinn_!**

* * *

Malfoys did not cry.

The Malfoy family was renowned for a number of things. Not only were they wealthy purebloods who strongly believed in the notion of blood purity, but they also always managed to manipulate the situation to their own gain, no matter how dire it was. Another reason why they were so highly respected was their mask of impassivity, which slid naturally over their features in the face of adversity. No one in living memory had ever seen any member of the Malfoy family break down into uncontrollable sobs before.

_Malfoys did not cry._

Lucius Abraxas Malfoy had often prided himself in keeping those weak emotions in check. He had never let them get the better of him, fighting back those tears which threatened to surface when suffering from an emotional blow or when in great pain. There was always a first time for everything. Lucius himself knew that if one never even attempted to try out something new, they would never be in successful in life. The Malfoy family occasionally took risks, but they made sure to be cautious and on guard at all times. Unfortunately, that first time rule also seemed to apply for every aspect of life, be it accidentally or on purpose. Lucius Malfoy had experienced it first-hand.

_Malfoys did not cry._

Although that was the unspoken tradition of the entire family, he had. It had happened during the Battle of Hogwarts. No, he had not cried because he had been hurt in any form, physical or mental. He had not cried because of the Dark Lord's downfall. He had not cried because his fellow colleagues had been gravely injured or killed.

_Malfoys did not cry._

He had cried because of his son, Draco.

_Malfoys did not cry._

He remembered, crystal clear, the panic that had risen in him when he could not find his only son. Draco was supposed to be evacuated from Hogwarts when the first sign of battle started, but he had stupidly stayed behind to find Potter to bring him to the Dark Lord. He remembered how he searched the grounds desperately with his wife for any sign of their son, instead of fighting the Order of the Phoenix members like he was supposed to do.

_Malfoys did not cry._

He remembered fidgeting in the clearing for an hour with the Dark Lord while waiting for Potter to come. He remembered the anxiety gnawing in him, the restlessness growing inside him. Narcissa, his beloved wife, was equally worried, and together the two of them could barely escape the careful scrutiny of the Dark Lord.

_Malfoys did not cry._

He remembered when Potter had 'died' and the Death Eaters had marched through the grounds of Hogwarts in their triumphant glory. While the rest of the Death Eaters were parading around, he had nervously scanning the crowd, hoping to see a sign of that signature light blond hair that ran through the family somewhere.

_Malfoys did not cry._

He remembered the fear soaring through him when he had not seen any sign of his son in the surviving crowd. When Potter had been found to be alive and not dead in the first place, the Death Eaters had risen to the occasion while he ran to the inside of the castle, hoping against hope that he would not see the motionless body of Draco lying as one of the dead in the Great Hall. Relief had rushed through him when he saw a small figure with pale blond hair huddled in the corner, away from the fighting which had commenced. He remembered running through the Great Hall with his wife, instinctively ducking jinxes and curses of a multitude of colours to reach his son. He remembered holding him tight in his arms, never wanting to let his son go. All of his earlier apprehension had evaporated, only to be replaced by the pleasant feeling of reassurance that his son was safe, and that his family was unharmed.

_Malfoys did not cry._

That was the time Lucius Malfoy had broken the family tradition. Those traitorous tears that he had been fighting against for his entire life had surfaced and he could no longer hold them back from spilling over. He did not mind that he was crying in front of everyone, friend and foe. What mattered in that moment was that they were together.

_Malfoys did not cry._

Looking back, he realised he was not ashamed in the slightest about that incident. He would rather shed his tears a thousand times than have a broken, incomplete family.

_Malfoys did not cry._

Only now did he realise that the so-called 'tradition' was a myth, and the cold, startling truth was unveiled.

Malfoys _did_cry.


End file.
